Member-only story
Talk is cheap. Actions are expensive.
Considering the ongoing protests and dialogue meant to end racial discrimination in America, as well as a demand for those who harm Black people — chiefly police officers — to be convicted for their crimes and serve time behind bars, several White individuals nationwide have been looking for ways to help these causes. One demographic worth mentioning regarding this matter are those involved in the entertainment industry, specifically voice actors.
Beginning with Jenny Slate on June 24th, many White voice actors either relinquished or took some time to reflect on their roles portraying fictional Black cartoon characters. A shared sentiment is that White actors should not be voicing Black cartoon characters or others who are discernibly people of color. Slate announced she would no longer voice Missy Foreman-Greenwald, a Black — depicted as biracial but still visibly Black — character on popular Netflix show Big Mouth, after playing the part for three seasons, though Season 4 has already wrapped with her voicing Missy. In an Instagram post highlighting this decision, Slate stated that by playing the character she was “engaging in an act of erasure of Black people.”
Push and pull
Some might feel voice actors should be allowed to portray any cartoon character since cartoons are deemed…
